A mental game I like to play is “Imagine if George Bush did that.” For instance, picture the press coverage if George Bush had screwed up the Russian Reset button. Or if a Bush crony had gloated about the political opportunities of a crisis.

Here’s the latest scenario for the game: Imagine if George Bush nominated a board member of the American Center for Law and Justice and fundraiser for the Minutemen to a federal judgeship. Further, this nominee was also an extreme pro-lifer and draconian in his application of search and seizure laws.

Would such a nominee be termed “moderate” by the press? Such a notion requires more suspension of disbelief than Alias Season 4.

Judge Hamilton, Obama’s first judicial pick, was vice president for litigation and a board member of the Indiana ACLU and a fundraiser for ACORN. Yet the New York Times and friends assure us he’s a moderate.

Some of his “moderate rulings”:

Indiana House cannot pray in the name of Jesus.
Invalidated a law registering sex offenders.
Fought a seven-year battle against valid abortion waiting period.
Ruled that drug-sniffing dogs are a violation of privacy.

Many lovely people support such policies. They just aren’t called moderates.

Crossposted from Conservative Intelligencer